House Minority Whip Venton Jones of Dallas condemned Gov. Greg Abbott’s call for a special legislative session that will convene on July 21 and run for one month. The governor sets the agenda for special sessions and he listed 18 items.
What concerns Jones — and most Democrats in the state — the most is the inclusion of premature redistricting of four congressional seats currently held by minority representatives.
In a press release, Jones wrote:
“The Governor’s attempt to prematurely redraw our district lines, particularly targeting the four minority Congressional Seats identified in the Department of Justice’s July 7, 2025, letter, is an egregious act that undermines the very foundation of our democracy. While the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, under the leadership of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, rightfully raised serious concerns about existing unconstitutional race-based gerrymandering in these districts, the Governor has twisted these concerns into a pretext for a new, politically motivated assault on the voting rights of Texans.
“The DOJ’s letter explicitly states that districts TX-09, TX-18, TX-29, and TX-33 currently constitute ‘unconstitutional coalition districts’ and involve unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, in violation of the U.S. Constitution and established legal precedents. The DOJ is calling for the State of Texas to bring its currentredistricting plans into compliance. Instead, the Governor is using this legitimate call for constitutional adherence as an excuse to further disenfranchise Black and minority voters, effectively engaging in reverse racism by misrepresenting the DOJ’s intent to justify his own partisan agenda.
“This is not about correcting past wrongs in a just manner; it’s about seizing an opportunity to manipulate district lines to silence the voices of communities of color. Texas, a state with one of the largest Black populations in the country, deserves fair representation, not cynical schemes designed to dilute our electoral power. The Governor’s narrative is not only wrong but profoundly hurtful, using what appears to be a distorted interpretation of federal concerns to justify the disenfranchisement of Texans.
“Let me be unequivocally clear: I will not stand idly by while the rights of Texas voters are trampled upon. We are ready and willing to fight at all costs to protect all the citizens of Texas. This is a critical moment for our state, and the future of our democracy hangs in the balance.”
— David Taffet